1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to the general field of animal repellant devices. In particular, the invention provides a method and apparatus for keeping dogs, cats, and other domestic animals outside of a given area where their presence is not desired.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A common problem experienced by pet owners is a simple way to keep their animals away from certain areas, specially in a home or business environment. Some animals, such as dogs and cats, tend to cause damage to fixtures and furniture by scraping, scratching, and eating plants to satisfy their grooming and playing needs. The owners' efforts in training a pet not to enter certain areas of the house or building are usually marked by limited success; and the forceful reclusion of the animal to a specific space, such as a locked room or pen, often results in severe damage to surround articles.
Thus, people normally either allow their pets to roam freely or restrict them by means of chains or similar restraining devices.
This invention is directed at providing a simple means for training a domestic ground animal, such as a dog or a cat, to stay away from certain delineated areas without resorting to such drastic restraining apparatus. The invention is based on the principle that animals find it uncomfortable to have extraneous material stick to their paws and will avoid stepping over anything that they know might become attached to them.
A prior art search revealed some patents that describe the use of adhesive materials and of electrical charge to trap or effect the behavior of insects and other animals. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,816,956 to Sekula (1974) illustrates an adhesive tape to catch insects. U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,671 to Olson (1989) discloses an elongated insect trap formed in a recessed area of a strip of flexible material wrapped around the trunk of a tree. Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,216 (1990), Djukastein shows an electrified mat that gives a repelling shock to an animal stepping over it.
None of the referenced patents teaches a device that can be used for training a cared-for, pet animal to stay away from predetermined areas or objects without the direct use of physical restraints. Therefore, this invention provides such an apparatus, both as a deterrent to encroachment and as a training tool.